G7 slams Chinese firms' military help for Russia

G7 Foreign Ministers expressed “strong concern” about transfers of dual use materials and weapons components from Chinese businesses to Russia for use in Moscow’s military expansion

G7 Foreign Ministers on April 19 expressed "strong concern" about transfers of dual use materials and weapons components from Chinese businesses to Russia for use in Moscow's military expansion.

At a meeting in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had urged European counterparts to increase pressure on Beijing, who Washington accuses of helping Russia's "most ambitious defence expansion since the Soviet era".

"We express our strong concern about transfers to Russia from businesses in the People's Republic of China of dual-use materials and weapons components that Russia is using to advance its military production," the Group of Seven ministers said in a final statement after talks on the island of Capri.

“This is enabling Russia to reconstitute and revitalise its defence industrial base, posing a threat both to Ukraine and to international peace and security.”

"China should ensure that this support stops, as it will only prolong this conflict and increase the threat that Russia poses to its neighbours."

In addition to the United States, the G7 countries include Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Japan and Italy, which holds the presidency this year.

Washington has set a red line for Beijing — not to supply weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine. And so far it has not presented proof that this has been crossed.